Li Huowang was lost in thought when he suddenly heard someone calling him,
"Taoist Master! Taoist Master!"
The little man with bound feet came wobbling over to Li Huowang, sizing up his face, and said with a fawning smile, "Taoist Master, are you leaving? Stay a few more nights."
"What exactly are you people doing here?" Li Sui, burning with curiosity, suddenly spoke up.
The bound-feet man, hearing this, immediately reached out and lifted a nearby pot lid. Steam billowed away, and a watermelon-sized stone lay quietly in the boiling pot.
"We're boiling Stone Soup! This stuff is really nourishing! Not only does it stave off hunger, but it also extends your life! And as long as you keep it simmering, when the stone's finally boiled down to mush and you drink it—well!—you can ascend to the Immortal Realm and enjoy yourself! You'll never have to suffer in the Mortal World again!"
